Blue Jays close door on 2015 with heartbreaker in KC

The Toronto Blue Jays season has come to an end. Despite the heroics of Jose Bautista to lift the Jays into the ninth inning, the Kansas City Royals finally proved to be too much. We’ll have an offseason to discuss the home run that was, or wasn’t, and the strike zone on Ben Revere. The truth is, though, the better team won the ball game. It’s been a hell of a ride for the Blue Jays, and despite the disappointment, we should be grateful to have witnessed it.

Game Notes:

• Yordano Ventura came out in the stretch, strangely enough, and Ben Revere was able to break through with a hard double down the right-field line. He’d be stranded, though, by three unproductive and impatient at-bats behind him.
• Ben Zobrist then got to David Price in the bottom half, with a solo shot to left field. Mike Moustakas then went yard in the 2nd. It was reviewed, as a fan reached over the wall to grab it, and the decision to uphold the call was debatable.
• The FOX broadcast then interviewed the young man who caught the ball. It was one of the worst moments in the history of television.
• Jose Bautista then joined the homer parade for the good guys with a DEEP fly to left field off Ventura in the fourth to bring the game to 2-1. Ventura would close out the inning by striking out Tulowitzki, then staring him down as he was displeased with a late ‘time’ call. It’s increasingly difficult to take him seriously.
• Price finally found his groove in the fourth as he struck out the side.
• Jump to the fifth, and walks to Russell Martin and Kevin Pillar gave the Jays runners on first and second with none out. After Goins and Revere both flew out, Josh Donaldson scorched a line drive to the left side. Unfortunately, Mike Moustakas was standing there. At 114 MPH, it was tied for his hardest hit ball of the season.
• An Encarnacion double chased Ventura in the 6th, and the 24-year old exchanged words with Blue Jays first base coach Tim Leiper on the way off the field. You can’t make this stuff up. A Colabello strikeout and Tulo fly out would strand yet another runner, though.
• Fast forward to the bottom of the seventh with the Jays still down 2-1, and Ben Revere had the defensive play of the postseason against Salvador Perez, jumping high against the left field wall to make a catch. Goins would follow it up with an impressive play of his own as the Jays defense kept them close.
• Aaron Sanchez would take over for Price with two out in the seventh, but allow an RBI single to Alex Rios to put the Jays down 3-1. Following that inning, the FOX broadcast displayed an ad for a KC vs. NYM World Series game one. FOX has some work to do this offseason.
• Jose Bautista, the legend. With Ben Revere on first in the eighth, Bautista went yard again to tie things at three. This man lives for the spotlight.
• Then the rain. A downpour hit between the top and bottom of the eighth, sending the tarp on to the field. It would last long enough to chase Davis and Sanchez from the game, thrusting Roberto Osuna into action.
• Roberto Osuna would walk Lorenzo Cain out of the rain delay, who would come around from first on an Eric Hosmer single to put the Royals back ahead 4-3. Bautista’s throw to the infield went to second base, which was a mistake.
• Russell Martin singled to lead off the ninth and was quickly replaced by Dalton Pompey who stole second base and third. After Kevin Pillar walked and stole second while Navarro struck out, Ben Revere would also sit down after a highly questionable second strike. Josh Donaldson was the last man to the plate, but a ground out to third ended the season.

Next: Blue Jays experimenting with top prospect Guerrero at 3B

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